Australians, Canadians and Brazilians are pro-immigration

In a recent global poll, researchers found that Australia, Canada and Brazil had the highest percentage of citizens who viewed immigration in a positive light.

Brazil led the polls with 47 percent of respondents saying that immigration benefited Brazilian society, followed by Canada (43 percent) and Australia (36 percent). The study was undertaken by UK and Irish research company Ipsos.

Researchers found that the more educated a person was the more likely it was that immigration would be viewed in a positive light. For example, sixty percent of Canadians with a higher education believe that immigration benefits society.

The survey polled citizens of countries from many Countries from around the world. Eighty percent of those surveyed felt that immigration had increased in their respective countries.

Russia and the UK had the most negative view on immigration, with 77 percent of Russians and 71 percent of Britons saying that there are too many immigrants in their country.

The economic situation in a particular Country, perhaps not surprisingly, affected people's views on immigration; People from Countries with high unemployment were more likely to be negative about immigration. In an attempt to reduce competition for jobs a number of countries have implemented stricter immigration rules. Many commentators have said that immigration actually leads to more employment and prosperity. Therefore in the long term tougher immigration controls may actually lead to more unemployment.

Demand for skilled workers is on the rise in Australia, particularly in the labour-starved resources industry. Canada is also set to increase its immigration intake this year, with a number of provinces and territories benefitting from the Provincial Nominee Program, which allows provinces and territories to nominate skilled migrants for priority processing.